Hi Kate -
I am just giving you some additional information from another oral cancer patient, and you can take from this info whatever assists you in working with your Mom to make the decision. I am not recommending one way or the other. You will see by my "signature" that my husband has had 4 small oral cancers. He is now 63. He never had radiation as they all had clear margins, good scans, non-invasive, etc. Now whether or not the cancers would have recurred had he HAD rads, is an unknown. His RO said that he thought one of the cancers would have recurred anyway, even with radiation which would have been angled differently. He is doing fine right now, and is going up for the big routine check-up on Tuesday. I have to agree with Leslie, and urge your Mom to quit smoking right away. My husband never smoked, rarely drinks, and his cancers are thought to erupt from the oral lichen planus or oral leukoplakia he has had for decades. Hope this helps smile
Warmly, JaneP

Husband: 3 SCC gum and cheek cancers 2002, 2005, 2006: surgery only. Scans clear after removal of small, well differentiated, non-invasive cancers. No radiation. 4th SCC lip diagnosed 4/13/07 - in situ, removed in biopsy. More lip removed 2/8/08 - dysplasia. 2 Biopsies 3/17/09 no cancer (lichenoids)